The Red Scarf Girl

Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-li Jiang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh my goodness, this book touched my heart. My daughter is reading it for a history course she is taking this year called Key of Liberty. I always pre-read any books my daughters are assigned as part of a course. I had never heard of this book or Ji Li Jiang. But I am SO glad I have read it now. I knew surface stories about the Chinese Cultural Revolution, but had never studied it. This book made me cry. I cried for Ji Li, I cried for the Jiang family, I cried for the children & families put through this, I cried for China and I cried for the history and culture they lost/destroyed during this time. Jiang does an excellent job of showing you the horror of the Cultural Revolution from a child's eyes, but does it in a way that I do not mind my 12-year-old daughter reading this book. It does not have graphic portrayals of grotesque violence (though I know that happened during the revolution, too). Definitely an excellent read. One I seriously encourage for those that have never realized just how precious the freedoms we enjoy in America are and take them for granted.

My two favorite quotes:
"This is the most frightening lesson of the Cultural Revolution: Without a sound legal system, a small group or even a single person can take control of an entire country. This is as true now as it was then."

"My family was too precious to forget, and too rare to replace."



Kindle Edition: Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution

The Long Way To a New Land

The Long Way to a New Land (I Can Read Book 3) by Joan Sandin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

There are pros and cons to this easy reader. The cons are that it does not appeal to pre-readers at all. The pictures are few and not very detailed. The subject matter is also above the head of your average pre-schooler. But if you have a beginner reader that is trying to learn more about early emigrants to the United States for a report or something, this is a great book. It is full of facts about Swedish emigrants in story form, making the information easy for a child to absorb.

Legacy of the Drow

Legacy of the Drow: Collector's Edition by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, I enjoyed these books. Not the most intellectual, but for a fantasy lover that is looking for a fun but easy read, these are good. The fourth book ends without wrapping up all the loose ends, to entice you to his next series I'm sure, but wraps up enough to not leave the reader unsatisfied.

The characters of these books are basically well developed D&D characters, which is what the Forgotten Realm books are all based on. They have the traits that are expected and, yet, Salvatore finds interesting ways to tweak the basic D&D molds just a little, to make the characters different and interesting. But because they are based on a specific mold, the characters tend to not have too much depth (thus adding to the book’s fun read, but not too thought provoking status).

I would say that Salvatore has two main strengths in the books I have read so far. His playing of the characters off of one another is wonderful, often making me laugh out loud while reading. The camaraderie of the companions seems real and sincere, not forced. His other strength is in his detail of battle scenes, especially fights involving the main character, Drizzt. You feel like you’re in the action, without him adding so many details that they weigh down and slow the action.

Atlas Shrugged

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a hard book to rate. There were parts that I really enjoyed and parts that I hated. Parts that I wholly agreed with and parts that I vehemently disagreed with. It was definitely the most difficult book I have ever read. I decided on four stars because even the parts that I didn’t necessarily enjoy or agree with were still excellently written when one thinks of terms of what was her point. But when one thinks of terms of literary excellence and things like character development, there was a bit lacking. My dissatisfaction more came from the fact that I have never really enjoyed being lectured when I already agree with the point being made (and there is a sixty page monologue that is a lecture towards the end of this).

Atlas Shrugged is fairly pertinent to today’s political atmosphere and a good read for that reason alone. True, it shows things in extreme, but that is often the best way to make a point in fiction. It is very obvious that Rand was an atheist at the time she wrote this – and there was where most of my disagreement with her was rooted. I don’t agree with her viewpoints on pride, sexual morality or those that believe in God. On a non-religious note, I didn’t agree with her portrayal of farmers. I firmly believe that if this country were to fall apart, the farmers that own their land would be one of the few groups not to starve. They might learn to live w/out certain luxuries, but I don’t think being unable to sell their crop would cause them to starve. Most farmers I know are very practical and would use their land to grow food for their family if things got this bad.

But I whole heartedly agree with Rand’s viewpoints on capitalism vs. socialism. Those that think socialism is the way to go will hate this book. But as I’m a capitalist, I agreed with and enjoyed reading much of it. She cuts right to the heart of what socialism is and does to societies – and some people just hate to hear the truth.

The Icewind Dale Trilogy

The Icewind Dale Trilogy Collector's Edition (A Forgotten Realms(r) Omnibus) by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This trilogy introduces the five main characters that the reader will follow throughout most of RA Salvatore’s works. Drizzt Do’Urden – the mostly shunned drow elf ranger that lives on the surface and tries to live down the well deserved evil reputation of his race. His companion, Gwenhyvar, a magnificent giant panther magically brought to him in times of need. The surly, old dwarf Bruenor Battlehammer that loves his friends dearly. Cattie-Brie Battlehammer, the beautiful dwarf raised human girl that is the adopted daughter of Bruenor. Wulfgar, the mammothly huge barbarian that is taken under Bruenor’s wings and trained by Drizzt. And finally, the lovable rascal halfling, Regis Rumblebelly. The characters are well developed and fun enough with fast paced plot lines to keep the reader engaged but at the same time easy enough to understand that the reader knows they can put the book down for a few days and come back later without losing important details.

Fablehaven: Keys to the Demon Prison

Keys to the Demon Prison (Fablehaven) by Brandon Mull
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Picked up from the library yesterday and started today (4/14).

This was the fifth and final book of the Fablehaven series. A great read even though it's a fairly easy and quick read. Brandon Mull brings a new world within our own to life vividly without any of the trash that is common to fantasy and sci fi nowadays. I would have absolutely no problem with my ten year old daughter reading these. His descriptions are interesting and easy to picture in the mind's eye. My favorite thing besides the family friendly aspect of these is the imagination behind them. The whole idea of preserves for fairy creatures is fantastic, and something I've never heard anything like before.

The reason this recieved four stars instead of five is because the end seemed rushed. I could tell Mull was trying to tie up all his loose ends, give all his characters a happy ending and do it in one final book without making the book too long. I think it would have served the series more justice to have included more details and made this last book into two.

I look forward to reading future novels by Mr. Mull and hope he continues in the vein of totally new and family friendly.

Love Comes Softly

Love Comes Softly (Love Comes Softly Series, Book 1) by Janette Oke
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this in a single afternoon and evening - while still taking care of kids and chores. So obviously a very easy read. But I enjoyed it nonetheless.

Could I predict a lot of the story and know how it was going to basically end? Of course. Romances tend to be like that. The enjoyment of a romance novel comes from the different paths taken from point A to point B.

Love Comes Softly is a very gentle book that takes you from a very painful point in the main characters lives, through the process of healing from the heartbreak of tragedy and finally to the point where they have the ability to love again. I particularly enjoyed Oke's telling of such a basic story because of her use of faith in God throughout the book without making it felt forced. The story is not preachy, it feels completely natural and in place when the characters pray and read scriptures.

I also enjoyed the clean, wholesomeness of the book. Too many romances are just trashy smut. This book has none of that, but leaves no doubt of the feelings the characters develop one for another. I'd have no problem letting my 9-year-old read this if she so desired.

Photographs & Phantoms

Photographs & Phantoms (Gaslight Chronicles) by Cindy Spencer Pape
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

Seriously, what is it with books and movies these days being overrun by sex!? The book industry needs a rating system, because I'm getting awfully tired of starting a book, getting into and then getting surprised by a bedroom scene! This book would be rated R, possible NC-17, so definitely not for this lady to read. The scene is about half way through the book. I'd enjoyed the dialogue up until that point, but had to put it down because it wasn't a small section that could be easily skipped. Too bad, I'd've liked to finish the story and find out what caused the shadows. I suspect it's Peterson, but I'll never know. Oh well - onto better things! This is why I normally stay in the YA section! Good grief.

Never Ever After

Never Ever After: Three Short Stories by Ruth Nestvold
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I don't really know what to say about this small collection of short stories. Truthfully, I probably never would have read them if I hadn't gotten them for free on my Kindle. Were they astounding short stories that filled my mind with wonder at what happened later, like Asimov and McCaffrey short stories have done for me before. No, not really. But they were well told stories that didn't leave me griping at the open endedness of them. They formed clear pictures in my mind and were a very quick read (took me less than an hour). And I enjoyed the use of Irish folklore (something I've always found beautiful). But they didn't inspire me with a desire to know more. Also, there is the lack of morality of the characters. Really, is it so hard to write a story where people aren't sleeping around outside of marriage or betraying their lawfully wed spouses?

Punk Farm on Tour

Punk Farm on Tour by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Well, this book was not what I expected and certainly caught my children and I off guard. But in a totally good way. I picked the book up at the library because it looked like a change of pace from our normal reads and had fun artwork. As we settled down to read it tonight, the first few pages my 4-year-old was looking at me bewildered. She just didn't get it. But once we got to the song and she realized what they were singing, she loved and it and sang along with me. Definitely some clichés and some references that went over my kids heads, but over all they enjoyed it.

Kindle Version: Punk Farm on Tour

So You're Thinking About Homeschooling

So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Second Edition: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It (Focus on the Family) by Lisa Whelchel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yay, I finished my first book about homeschooling! And I think Heavenly Father was blessing me in my first choice.

This book is great for a person considering homeschooling that has no background in it. She takes seventeen short, easy to read chapters to indroduce the reader to fifteen different ways of homeschooling. Obviously, these are not the only ways, but it is a great introduction to what is available.

The books chapters are very relaxing to read, almost like having a conversation (she intentionally designed it this way) to give you an idea of what different homeschool families could be like, after interviewing hundreds of real families.

My favorite thing? At the end of the book, there is an appendix that is 21 pages of contact information for different learning styles, homeschool associations, supply sources, etc. I can't wait to dig through these websites tonight!

PS - I didn't even realize the author was Blair from Facts of Life until I was already reading the book, despite her picture being on the front cover. LOL!

Kindle Edition: So You're Thinking About Homeschooling: Second Edition: Fifteen Families Show How You Can Do It (Focus on the Family)

Homeschooling for Excellence

Homeschooling for Excellence by David Colfax
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The main redeeming quality of the book is that it is well written in terms of grammar and thought flow. But it is extremely dry and I felt like I was being lectured by a holier than thou hippie, there was absolutely no humor or personality in this book. The book also has some good appendices. Though they are a bit dated, they still give one a lot of information and a place to start on your search for more up to date information.

The Colfax’s obviously have very talented children and their style of homeschooling worked for them. But unschooling is not a style that I really like. And due to that, some of their book recommendations were not good recommendations for my family. But they may work well for families that are interested in unschooling.

Also, the book spent a lot of time on simply tearing down the public school system. While I agree that public schools are not working, I was not looking for a book to bash them. But if you are looking for a book that discusses what exactly is wrong in the public schools of the United States, this book has very well thought out arguments.


Kindle Edition: Homeschooling for Excellence

Wizard's First Rule

Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

This book is disgusting, plain and simple. The author seems to revel in detailed savage sexual abuse, especially towards children. Did I finish it, unfortunately yes. Will I ever read another book by Terry Goodkind? NO!

Kindle Edition: Wizard's First Rule (RosettaBooks into Film)

The Beginner's Guide to Homeschooling

The Beginners Guide to Homeschooling by Patrick Farenga
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Okay, I’ll admit it; I was a little frustrated with this book. Instead of being a person’s experiences and thoughts on homeschooling, it feels more like a book catalog in a library. The author will give a sentence or two, then tell you for more information to see his appendices or reference another book. In a 124 page book, the appendices start on page 62!

The best part of the book is that while the author is a fan of unschooling, he does give resources about many types of homeschooling. And if you’re looking for a book to give you references for other books to read on homeschooling – this is the place to go. Though a lot of his references he readily admits are out of print.

The Complete Guide to Homeschooling

The Complete Guide to Home Schooling by John Perry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, I’m finally done with The Complete Guide to Homeschooling. It took forever just because things have been crazy around here and the book was chock full of good information that I didn’t want to skim in a quick read.

So, while the book has had some of the best, most up to date information I’ve read so far, I’m scoring it down because of the tone of the authors. They have a very arrogant, their way is best, everyone else’s are to be looked down on tone. Have you ever met a person that claims tolerance of all groups, but then when they talk about how they are tolerant but their tone of voice oozes snideness, sending the message that while they’re ‘tolerant’ they think the other person is an idiot for doing it differently? Well, that sums up the whole tone of this book. But if you can force yourself to ignore their tone, there is a ton of good information in this book. Especially for the parent that is planning on using textbooks as a major part of their curriculum. I also like that it had chapters devoted to things to do with different age groups (elementary, middle school and high school).

This book has so much information that applies to my situation, that snide tone or not, I plan on purchasing my own copy so I can reference it whenever I want instead of having to go back to the library and hope it’s not checked out.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Dover Thrift Editions) by Jules Verne
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I've finally read a Jules Verne book. And I have to say, I am unimpressed. It's like he had a encyclopedia of ocean life next to him and regurgitated it back to me with a bit of story to wrap it up. The story was interesting, but page after page of description of undersea life was, frankly, overdone and boring. I enjoy descriptions, loving the imagery painted in my mind by authors such as Tolkien. But Verne doesn't use common vernacular to describe his scenery, he uses all scientific terms. So I spent a good deal of time looking up various terms while reading this book, which would make it ideal for reading while studying marine biology. But it was not at all pleasant to read for enjoyment.

Kindle Edition: Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea

Stuart Little

Stuart Little by E.B. White
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

We just finished this book as a family. The story is written very clearly, so that the children were able to make pictures of what was happening easily in their heads. They enjoyed the adventures that Stuart went on, but couldn't get over the fact that it was just 'weird' for a human to have a mouse for a baby. They also didn't like the ending much, as it was our first introduction as a family to open-ended stories. They argued a bit afterwards about what have must happened, until I convinced them that could have their own individual ideas of what happens. I think this book might appeal to boys more than girls, as my girls thought some of the things Stuart does are just odd. They also didn't like how often we were introduced to a new character and then have them disappear just as we were starting to really get interested in them.

Over all, a good book. Probably one we will read again when our babies are old enough to listen.

Magyk

Magyk (Septimus Heap, Book 1) by Angie Sage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Somebody checked this out for me of the library - I think my husband - when I at the bedside of my daughter in the hospital. I told him I wanted an easy but fun read. This fit the bill perfectly. The story is original, but uses enough basic fantasy lore that you don't feel like you're having to absorb a whole new world. Sage also has a fun sense of humor, which is probably what makes these books the most enjoyable. Another thing I really enjoy is how clean the books are (so far), and the characters are very family oriented.

Kindle Edition: Septimus Heap, Book One: Magyk

Flyte

Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2) by Angie Sage
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Just got this from the library the other day, wanting to continue the series that I started so long ago. This book had more humor than the first and a more captivating story, but still maintained it's easy pace and clean story. So far, this is a series I would have no problem letting my 8 or 11 year old daughters read.

Kindle Edition: Septimus Heap, Book Two: Flyte (Septimus Heap, Book 2)

The Looking Glass Wars

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Read this trilogy recently. Usually, I hate it when authors take established stories and 'try to make them their own'. I hate it when directors of movies do it, too. My POV is that they should either honor the original work or come up with their own idea. This book is one of the few that I think the reimagining did nothing to detract from the original and was a fun read. Beddor did an excellent job of reminding us of Carroll's original work while he took us off on a whole new tangent, telling us the 'real' story of Alyss.

Not something I would allow my kids to read before they are 12, due to subject matter (sororicide, hate, malice, unforgiving, etc.).

Kindle Edition: The Looking Glass Wars

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book 1) by Rick Riordan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I saw the movie first. And the concept made me interested enough to read the book. I had the incentive to read the book now, rather than later, because my daughters are interested in reading it. What a pleasure it was to read, too. Yes, many parts were predictable (maybe due to my seeing the movie first), but it was a romping good adventure anyways. There are enough mature themes for me to say my children must be at least 11 before they can read this series

Themes that I feel are too mature for readers younger:
1. There is some environmentalist stuff thrown in, little enough to make it easy to ignore, but enough to make it something you should discuss with your kids.
2. Lack of adult supervision.
3. Life & death situations.
4. The harshness of the relationships with the parents (this and number 5 are the main reasons I am making my kids reach a certain age).
5. There is a murder done at the end of the book by one of the major characters on a not nice, but innocent person. This probably bothered me the most, but as it not big on details and just glazes over the event, I decided to let the kids read as it is a very Ancient Greek way of doing things and in line with the tone of the book.

Kindle Edition: The Lightning Thief, film edition